How to Become a Psychologist
Psychology is among the most respected, rewarding professions in the world. A helping profession, it offers a good salary, social prestige, and the emotional reward of providing aid to those in need and pain. How do you become a psychologist? It’s not a hat trick: you can’t just pull the career out of your hat like a rabbit.
There are two possible approaches, both begun while getting a BA or BS from a four year college. You can take courses that focus tightly on subjects clearly connected to your intended profession: psychology, sociology, or anthropology, or social services are all good choices. You can also choose at this point to work to develop a strong, well rounded humanities background, with a strong enough psychology t, like some professions. So where to start?
After you’ve gotten an degree from a four year college you are ready to move on. At this point you must enter a psychology program. There are many possible ways to do so: there are online programs, universities will offer psychology degrees, and there are many, many schools dedicated specifically to psychology and psychiatry. Be sure before proceeding any further that you check to be sure that the institution you plan to apply to is accredited. Try to determine if it is respected in the field. Call the local college or university counseling office and ask if you can come in and talk to a counselor about the quality of various schools. For your own sake and the sake of your patients choose a rigorous program from a respected source.
Do you want to be a practicing counselor, or an academic with psychological training? A manager for a human resources department, or a steady guide to addicts or trauma victims? There are many forms of psychological training, and before you start your graduate work you must take the time to learn the nature of the many programs and specializations. A poor choice now can doom your plans for decades to come. Clinical psychiatry takes many forms, but most involve actual practice. There are many degrees of a more academic nature, though. Be sure you know what you are signing up for.
Part of the process of gaining a degree in a clinical specialty will be an internship or practicum. In many instances you will have to set your own internship or practicum up without the help of your school. The school is allowed to approve or disapprove an internship, but in many cases will have no process in place to provide you with one. By nature a practicum will occur in a professional setting. Students have served practicums in schools as counselors, in clinics, hospitals and similar places where professional counseling may be required. Don’t be surprised to find yourself checking the want ads looking for internship openings and making cold calls to likely work sites. It goes with the territory.
When you have completed grad school you will still have to go through the formal licensing process for your region. To determine if your degrees and practicum are sufficient, or if your district will require further testing and internship you should contact your local Psychological Licensing Board, most often through your State Licensing Department. If you have completed the coursework at a good graduate school and have also completed your practicum hours there will seldom be a major remaining component: there may be a standardized test, or a minor additional internship, and there will certainly be some red tape. But your degree and internship should have fulfilled the major required details.